After 9 Months Of Competition And More Than 130,000 Submissions,...

After 9 Months Of Competition And More Than 130,000 Submissions, Here Are The Most Breathtaking Pics Taken This Year (50 Pics)

After 9 months of competition and more than 130,000 submissions from photographers all over the world, the Top 50 finalists for the #AGORAawards2019 have been revealed.

From seals resting on the Antarctic ice to Nomads crossing the Sahara desert, this selection will make you travel across the continents to discover the wonders of Planet Earth and its various cultures, people and incredible landscapes.

The AGORA Awards 2019, hosted by free-to-use photography app AGORA images will reward the best image of the year with the grand prize of $25,000 for its photographer. Unlike any other contest, the third edition of the AGORA Awards recognizes the single most voted photo of the year, without any photography genre categories.

The competition has been running throughout 2019, where photographers from all around the world – amateurs and professional alike – could submit their best shots. The 50 finalists, coming from 21 different countries, are now competing to cast the most votes and will be awarded on November 6th during the official AGORA awards ceremony taking place in Barcelona.

Which of them will win the life-changing prize? See them now and have your say!

#1 Ant Balancing The Earth

It took the photographer 4 hours to take this shot of an ant carrying water drops spread on a piece of thread.

By @anadgphotography (Philippines), Analiza De Guzman/AGORA images

#2 The Best Friends

A lizard and a snail having a cute moment.

by @andihalil (Indonesia), Andi Halil / AGORA images

#3 Incense Work

In Vietnam, incense is known to connect living people with ancestors and gods.

By @ptkhanhhvnh (Vietnam), Khánh Phan/AGORA images

#4 Reaching For Heaven

The Mont Saint Michel, France, lost in the middle of the fog.

By @thedronelad (UK), Konrad Paruch/AGORA images

#5 Rainy Day

Red-eyed tree frog in West Java.

By @hendymp (Indonesia), Hendy MP/AGORA images

#6 Songs Of Freedom

More than a photo – an unspoken struggle for freedom and belonging, inspired by Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’.

By @eighthman (Ghana), Michael Aboya/AGORA images

#7 Echoes Of The Unknown

The photographer wanted to display the cordial relationship between a man and a beast.

By @theeastwoodexperience (Ghana), Clement Eastwood/AGORA images

#8 Under The Light Making Batik Crafts

Batik making in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth. The lady pictured has been mastering this art for the past 35 years. With this picture, the photographer hopes to keep this tradition alive.
by @_bimo_ (Indonesia), Bimo Pradityo/AGORA images

#22 Throwing Nets

#23 Among The White Umbrellas

Traditional umbrellas factory in Mandalay, Myanmar. The production of a traditional umbrella cannot be done by a single person or within a day: there is a division of labor in the making of a single umbrella. Each worker is responsible for different parts to finish one umbrella.

By @aungthuya (Myanmar), Aung ThuYa/AGORA images

#24 Dancer

Taken at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens.

By @markellos (Greece), Markellos Plakitsis/AGORA images

#25 Nature Always Wins

Shipwreck graves in Brittany, France. Some boats have been there for more than 100 years.

By @charliieb (Monaco), Charlie Berthaume/AGORA images

#26 Sea Of Ice

The professional wildlife photographer took this photo in Antarctica, where crabeater seals like to rest on ice for a nap.

#35 In Retrospect

#36 Eid Prayer

The Eid prayer is celebrated on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, after the fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

By @azimronnie (Bangladesh), Azim Ronnie/AGORA images

#37 Farming

Shot of the rice fields in Northern Vietnam, where workers plant the rice seedlings for the upcoming harvest.

By @diepvan (Vietnam), Diep Van/AGORA images

#38 Strawberry Greenhouses

Young women working in a strawberry field, located in the Aegean region of Turkey.

By @leylaemektar (Turkey), Leyla Emektar/AGORA images

#39 Water Is Life

Although typhoons are pretty common in The Philippines, the citizens still worship the life-giving element of water.
by @froirivera (Philippines), Froi Rivera/AGORA images

#40 Blue Eye

The photographer pictured his son running through the City of Arts and Science, in Valencia.

By @ajuriaguerra (Spain), Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz/AGORA images

#41 Six Feet Under

Foggy morning in Ukraine, where the photographer spotted a man digging a grave with his bare hands in a little cemetery.

By @davidedziegler (Spain), David Carbonell/AGORA images

#42 Rain

Powerful portrait of the photographer’s father under the rain.

By @wunderbilder (Germany), Perry Wunderlich/AGORA images

#43 Striving

The shot was taken near the Nias Islands, an internationally famous surfing destination.

By @bastian_as (Indonesia), Bastian AS/AGORA images

#44 The Lights Of Life

Early morning shot of the Cirahong Bridge, located on the border of Tasikmalaya Regency and Ciamis Regency. The bridge was built in 1893 by the Dutch colons.
By @dikyedarling (Indonesia), Dikye Ariani/AGORA images

#45 L’espurna Que Fa Que Tot Comenci

Correfocs during a traditional Catalan festival, where groups dressed as devils light fireworks in the crowd.

By @xopet1969 (Spain), Albert Castañe/AGORA images

#46 Preparing For 1000 Takjil Iftar Ramadan Kareem

Three volunteers serve 1000 plates of chicken and rice prepared for the Iftar, an evening meal during which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.

By @dharmaku (Indonesia), Dharma Kurniawan/AGORA images

#47 Fire Fighter

Locals and firemen work as a team to fight a fire caused by a power incident in Bangladesh.

By @tanveer.rohan (Bangladesh), Tanveer Rohan/AGORA images

#48 Boys

With this shot, the photographer wanted to portray equality between two human beings.

By @diegocampomar (Uruguay), Diego Campomar/AGORA images

#49 Out At Sea – Msc Orchestra

Entry from the contest’s youngest finalist, a 18-year-old photographer from the Jersey Channel Islands. The cruise boat was visiting the harbor close to his hometown.

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